Crossing Blades: The War of Hearts
by AmandaArtiste
Summary: Finished! My first song fic. Comes between "The Black Cat" and "Blinded By Love", Tanya and Duke sort through feelings for each other and come to one heartfelt conclusion. Tanya/Duke 4 Ever & Always! ^_~


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Disclaimer: Let's be serious here, lol, I do NOT own the Mighty Ducks. If I did, I'd be writing episodes, not fanfics. *Sigh*, it'd be sweet to have a fic or two made into an episode but sadly, we live in a little place called _reality_. *Shrugs* oh well, that's life. Anyways, this is a song fic. I don't own the song either, _"I Just Died In Your Arms Tonight". _ I think _Cutting Crew _first sang it. _Foreigner_ and _Whitesnake _have sung it too, I think? One thing I'm sure of, I own this fic. So please don't plagiarize or sue me. Now on with the story! ^_^

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Crossing Blades: The War of Hearts

Written By: Amanda/Artiste/Agent Di

She was missing again…

But hey, that wasn't unusual. Tanya had been disappearing a lot lately. Oh wait--better make that _The Black Cat_. Duke couldn't get over how she'd managed to keep a secret like that for so long. He could see how she was able to fool the others. But him…why would she ever lie to him?

Then again…there was no easy answer to anything that Tanya did or didn't do. Maybe that's what it was about her, she fascinated him. Nah---there HAD to be more. More to Tanya, more to him, more to what it was about her that was bugging him.

Duke couldn't think, he needed to clear his mind. His heart. He NEEDED to get TANYA out of his heart!

Hopelessly he glanced around the lab. There was a second hand radio sitting atop the counter against the back wall. It surprised him to see something so simple just lying around Tanya's lab, intact. Without bothering his pounding head with another thought about it, he shuffled over and turned it on.

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I keep lookin' for something I can't get

Broken hearts lie all around me

And I don't see an easy way to get out of this

Her diary sits on the bedside table

The curtains are closed, the cat's in the cradle

Who would've thought that a boy like me could come to this.

Shaking his head Duke turned and went back to the stool where he'd been sitting, sitting and waiting, for Tanya.

The radio played on…

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Oh I, I just died in your arms tonight

It must've been something you said

I just died in your arms tonight

Oh I, I just died in your arms tonight

It must've been some kind of kiss

I should've walked away.

I should've walked away…The words repeated themselves over and over in Duke's mind. They rang in his ears and pulled at his heartstrings. If he had _only_ walked away. Maybe that would've saved him all this torment. The anguish that his heart was going through now. Had Tanya kissed him so passionately in the heat of the moment? Or had she meant something by it…something more than he had first led himself to think. 

It had been one wild ride, rescuing those mutant teens. And then finding out that Tawny was one of them. One of…him. She knew what it was to be on the wrong side of the law. She was no stranger to the dark side of nature. No, she embraced it. It gave her her edge. Duke put his head in his hands, if he had loved her before, he was utterly spellbound by her now.

Relentlessly, the song continued…

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Is there any just cause for feeling like this?

On the surface I'm a name on a list

I try to be discrete, but then blow it again

I've lost and found, it's my final mistake

She's loving by proxy, no give and all take

'cos I've been thrilled to fantasy one too many times.

The chorus repeated itself, the words tearing at Duke's soul. Lingering on in his mind, while his heart ached for the mysterious woman smirking at him from behind the black mask. She haunted his dreams, clutched his heart in her paw, and put him on the boards with just one glance.

Mercilessly, the lyrics wouldn't let him be, just like Tanya…

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It was a long hot night

She made it easy, she made it feel right

But now it's over the moment has gone

I followed my hands not my head, I know I was wrong.

Yeah, Duke thought, _that's exactly how it happened._ He recalled the moment perfectly now. Heck, he'd been reliving it for over a week now. Tanya had looked him straight in the eye, the flame roaring between them tremendous, not even the flames around them could compare, and before either of them knew what was happening…**POW!**…a dynamite kiss that made the very Heavens quake!

She stood there watching him, his head buried in his hands. He shook it every so often. She knew what he was thinking, she couldn't forget either. So L'Orange had a heart after all? Well--that was no real surprise. She'd always known, she just never figured the kiss was sincere. She'd blamed herself, all that passion, it had just been building up for so long and then---poor Duke, (she laughed), she must've knocked his socks off with a shock like that!

Rubbing her crossed arms a few quick times she stepped forward out of the doorway. It was obvious that Duke was deep in thought, otherwise he would've heard the swish of the door as it slid open. She'd been watching him since the second chorus. It was time to talk. Time to set the record straight. The kiss--while hot--had been a mistake. She'd just apologize and make sure there were no hard feelings. She wouldn't except anyone's love out of pity. It wasn't going to be easy, but she was determined to clear the air.

"Duke," she began softly.

Duke looked up, then jolted upright when he saw who it was. "TANYA?!"

A smile crept across her beak, he looked cute when he was dazed, but now was no time to admire the view, she had to focus, or she'd never get this out. "I think we need to talk."

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Here it comes, Duke thought, the moment he'd been dreading, _she's gonna tell me there was nothin' to that kiss. And here I am on the RECEIVING end of a breakup. Talk about yer irony. Wait…does this COUNT as a breakup?_

When he didn't respond she sighed heavily and cleared her throat, "Duke you and I…we're…from two different worlds. I mean, you're a jewel thief too--sure--but, well, ya know…you run a mob of thieves and I'm head of what's practically mutant central on Puckworld!"

Duke smiled, she had such a way with words. Even when she was stumbling through them. Sighing he realized that sooner or later, she was going to come to the point.

Running her hand through her hair she paced in front of him, a sign of nervousness that she hadn't intended to display. "Things just wouldn't work out with us because of our sit--our situa--" she couldn't stand the look on his face, that heartbroken look that made her second guess everything. "Look Duke, what is you want?"

"Huh?" he cocked an eyebrow, "What do ya mean what do I want? I think that's obvious. I want you sweetheart. And I thought ya wanted me. Or at least that's the impression I got last week when ya laid one on me."

Tanya perched her hands on her hips and let out an exasperated noise, "Well yeah but how was I supposed to know if ya meant to kiss me back like that or if ya were just wrapped up in the mom--the momen--if it was just a mistake?!"

"I didn't tell ya anything then cuz I assumed ya knew it wasn't just some mistake!" Duke shouted back, "Duke L'Orange doesn't kiss a lady like that unless he means it!"

"Oh great," Tanya rolled her eyes, "then I guess ya can add me to the list now huh?"

"Tanya," Duke reached out and caught her arm before she could storm out, "I didn't mean it like that."

"Then what did you mean?!" she turned around with fury on her face and tears swelling in her eyes.

He couldn't stand it, no way was he gonna look at her another minute while she was on the verge of tears. He felt helpless, powerless to change anything when she was around. He was just a spectator in his own life. Sittin' back and enjoyin' the show. With a quick jerk he pulled her forward and she hid her face against his chest. Tears were soaking his burgundy jumpsuit but he didn't mind. He had Tanya there in his arms, everything was going to be alright…somehow.

When her sobbing had ceased he gently placed a hand under her beak and lifted her face up so that she was staring straight at him. "Tanya," he whispered tenderly, "I've loved you from the start sweetheart, and I swear I'll love ya til the end."

She started crying again, she couldn't help it. All this time pursuing him, the cure for her aggression, her very mutation if she willed it, and most importantly of all---the love of her life.

"I don't want you to think that I'm just some selfish mutant in this for the cure Duke," she said wiping her eyes, "Truth is, I'm not so sure I'm ready to give up what I am, who I am. But I want ya to know…even if we never get off this planet and back to Puckworld, I'll have absolutely no regrets. Just cuz I'm here with you. I guess what I'm trying to say is…I love you too."

That was all he needed to hear. Those four simple words. He could finally relax and take part in his own life now. The fantasies were no longer better than what was real. Tanya loved him. He loved her. Come Saurians or dimensional limbo, nothing was going to change that. Life. Was. Perfect.

The flame was back and burning hotter than ever. Tanya slid her arms around Duke's neck and he wrapped his arms tightly around her waist, pulling her forward as she pulled his beak to hers. No fireworks display could ever outclass the sparks that flew between them. The last of the Pride had her cure. Two hearts had finally found each other. And that, was just the beginning…

Kissing passionately they searched for a solid anchor to hold them in place as the heat intensified. Anything to bring them back to Earth and assure them that the moment was real, tangible, everlasting…Backing up and pulling Duke along she finally bumped into the counter. _This works_. she smiled. Feeling behind herself with one hand she hopped up onto the counter and accidentally caught the tuning knob of the radio in her paw. Twisting it as she pushed it away the station changed and familiar lyrics echoed throughout the lab.

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Oh I, I just died in your arms tonight

It must've been something you said

I just died in your arms tonight

Oh I, I just died in your arms tonight

It must've been some kind of kiss

I should've walked away.

"Now what?" she grumbled, reluctantly pulling away and glaring at the distractive device.

Chuckling Duke leaned his head against Tanya's and inched his beak closer to hers again, "Hey angel, four words. _They're. Playin'. Our. Song._"

The warmth of his beak ended any further conversation. Slinging both arms around his neck once more she embraced him tightly, savoring the moment…which turned into the night…which would lead to the rest of their lives…

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Oh I, I just died in your arms tonight

It must've been some kind of kiss

I should've walked away---

I SHOULD'VE WALKED AWAY!

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~*The End*~

*Of course there's a sequel…this is part of my "The Black Cat" Mighty Ducks fanfic series. Guess ya could say it comes between "The Black Cat" and "Blinded By Love". Plus, it's my first ever song fic. Hope ya liked it. Review and lemme know! ^_~ *


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